Junk mail, spam, solicitations, notifications, and other unwanted electronic communications are a byproduct of a growing reliance on e-commerce. In most instances any transaction that occurs online seeks or requires an electronic address to confirm an order, verify credentials, or aid in tracking shipping. Invariably those addresses are used to engulf a user's inbox with offers, solicitations, spam, and even malicious email seeking to illicitly steal information, harass or even threaten.
In a corporate environment in which each employee has both at least one personal email account and at least one “work” email account it is increasingly desirable to intelligently manage email accounts so as to minimize security issues, minimize employee downtime issues, and increase confidence in email management. Described herein are systems and methods for configurable email management that address the above-referenced concerns.
The email management systems and methods as described herein allow anyone using email clients, from individuals to large corporations, to more efficiently and securely handle email communications from/to multiple sources
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a prior art system showing the general relationship to clients 203, 206, and 207 to multiple mail transfer agents (MTAs) 105, and data store 106. Clients 203, 206, and 207 as illustrated here are essentially the same type of software application for making email possible on different devices. Whether the email client is running on a PC (client 203), a cell phone (client 206), or a tablet (client 207), the client represents an executable application on the user device that makes it possible for the user to access email. Data store 106 in this figure represents any electronic medium that stores emails sent and received, and to which clients directly communicate to access emails sent and received (and also contacts, etc., depending upon the MTA provider and the relationship between the MTA provider and the individual who is operating the client). In order for anyone to send an email communication it must be sent from one MTA 105 to another MTA 105. As further described and claimed below, a custom MTA improves email communications.
Email is a very useful tool but as users receive more and more unsolicited messages, the utility of such a system dwindles. Recall that after a user creates an email, according to the prior art, it is typically sent using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). Each message bears the address of the destination and the address of the sender. The receiving domain MTA compares the mailbox in the address to its lists of subscribed users. If a match is found the message is associated with that particular user. If not, the message is discarded, and an error message is returned to the user indicating that the message was being sent to an unknown address.
A need therefore exists to curtail and control unwanted electronic communications. A common technique to resolve this issue to simply restrict those to whom a user gives out their address. Others provide an actual but dummy email address for all commercial transactions in the hope that their real email address remains clear of any unwanted communications.
Unfortunately, leaks occur, friends share email addresses and eventually even the most private of email inboxes are again crowded with unwanted communications. What is needed is a reliable means by which to identify from which source unwanted email is being generated and the ability to curtail that source of electronic communications without impacting the use of the same email inbox for other, legitimate users. These and other deficiencies of the prior art are addressed by one or more embodiments of the present invention.
Additional advantages and novel features of this invention shall be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following specification or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities, combinations, compositions, and methods particularly pointed out in the appended claims.